Love Cannot Conquer This
by MissingMommy
Summary: "She does love him, with all her heart. But it isn't enough, and will never be enough. Because to be with him, she'd have to give up who she is, and she cannot do that, not even for him." :: Minerva breaks off her engagement with Dougal. MinervaDougal.


For Stretch Your Limits round 3 – _medium_ – write about a canon break up. It must be over 1000 words.

For Kitkat's canon ships – Minerva/Dougal

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Dougal leads Minerva to the middle of an open field that has become _theirs_. The sun is sinking, as dusk falls. She should be heading home by now, but he was insistent that she follow him. And when they stop, the light is fading faster from the sky, leaving only the dark blue of night.

He takes both of her hands in his and drops to one knee. "I know we've only known each other for a few short weeks, but, Minerva, I cannot imagine my life without you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He's holding out a box that nestles a ring.

By the time he's done with his short speech, tears are welling in her green eyes from happiness. She can only nod, as she finds that words are failing her. She opens her mouth several times, trying to will the words out. A few seconds later, she manages a small, "Yes." After a moment's pause, she repeats herself again, "Yes. Yes, I will."

A smile appears across his face as he stands. He slides the ring on her finger before pulling her in for a hug. "I know it is not much, but it is all I could afford," he murmurs into her hair.

As he holds her tighter, Minerva admires the ring – her ring, she reminds herself. It's a simple ring with just one diamond on top of a yellow gold band. But it's _hers_. "It's beautiful," she whispers, meaning it completely.

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"You are awfully quiet tonight, Minnie," her father notes. "Do you have something on your mind you want to talk about?"

Minerva has always been close with her father, despite the tension between him and her mother. But she's not sure she wants to tell him about the engagement. Not because she doesn't trust him, but because she isn't sure of it herself.

"I'm just thinking about the amount of paperwork I have to do tomorrow is all," she lies.

She can tell that he doesn't believe it by the way he raises his eyebrow questioningly at her. But he lets it slide anyways. "If that's all…" he trails off, leaving it so she can finish the statement.

"It is, papa," she agrees quickly, almost too quickly. She pushes her plate away from herself. "May I be excused?"

Her mother turns away from the conversation she's having with her younger brothers. She notices Minerva's plate is practically full. "You've barely eaten anything, dear."

"I'm not feeling well," Minerva answers. It isn't a complete lie, either; her heart aches and she's smothered in the tension between her parents. Usually it isn't so bad, and she can ignore it. But tonight, she just can't.

Her mother scrutinizes her for a few moments. "Do you need something?" The question is rather vague but everyone knows what she means.

"I'll be fine once I get some rest," Minerva assures her mother with a tired smile. Standing, she pushes in her chair and leaves the room without another word.

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Once she's in the privacy of her own bedroom, she pulls out the ring that's been weighing on her heart. It's still as beautiful as it was when Dougal slid it on her finger. And she finds herself smiling because the ring is very _him_ in its simplicity. But the more she thinks of him and the ring, the more she's reminded of the lifestyle he leads.

Realization dawns on her. If she marries him, she'll be sentencing herself to a lifetime with her wand locked up, where she'll cook and clean and not much else. She'd be like her mother – envious of those who don't have to hide their magic. Not that her mother doesn't love her father; her mother's just wasting her talents _because_ of her love for him.

And that bitterness and resentment has caused a rift between them that's too wide to be repaired. That's not what Minerva wants to happen between her and Dougal. She wants happiness and a full life, something that she'll never achieve if she continues down this road.

As she flips the ring over again and again, she realizes that Dougal can't give her what she wants, and ultimately what she needs. Because if they marry, she'll have to tell him her secret and he'll be forced to keep it. And the burden of _her_ secret could – and probably would – tear them apart, like it did to her parents.

Neither of them deserve to live that way, to be unhappy all the time. They deserve a life full of love and happiness. And as she places the ring on her bedside table, she knows what she must do. She has to end the engagement, even though she loves him with all her heart, because it's for the best.

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When Minerva meets with Dougal the next afternoon, she momentarily freezes. Her heart starts to race and her hands shake. He takes one look at her and frowns. "What's the matter, love?" he questions softly, as he tries to hold her.

But she moves away from him. Taking a deep breath, she tries to calm her nerves. _This is for the best,_ she reminds herself. She takes the ring out of her pocket and places it back in his hand. He looks at her in confusion.

"I cannot marry you, Dougal," she whispers. "And I'm so sorry." She bows her head, refusing to meet his eyes because she doesn't want to see the hurt she's causing.

Disbelief crosses his face as he stares down at the ring – her ring. "Why not?" he demands.

She snaps her head up and meets his blue eyes. As much as she wants to tell him the truth, because he does deserve it, she knows she can't because the International Statue of Secrecy forbids her to. She would lose her job if she does.

"I just cannot," she replies. "But I am truly sorry. I hope you can believe that."

"Don't do this, Minerva," he pleads. "Please, don't. We could be happy together."

She closes her eyes. "That's the thing. We could never be happy because a marriage between the two of us never would. It would leave us unhappy. And I don't want that."

"But I love you," he says as a final attempt to get her to stay. "And love conquers all."

"Not this. Love cannot conquer this."

Without another word, she leaves him in the middle of what used to be _their_ field with a heavy heart. She does love him, with all her heart. But it isn't enough, and will never be enough. Because to be with him, she'd have to give up who she is, and she cannot do that, not even for him.

**A/n – I think I made myself ship this pairing. **

**So many thanks to Budapest All Over Again for the wonderful beta-ing. **

_**Please, please don't favorite without reviewing.**_


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